Trustees Absent

Pre-Agenda Item 1A: Mr. Evan Judd

Dr. Hackney spoke about Mr. Judd as a student who took advantage of the many opportunities within the Department of Biology. He announced that Mr. Judd planned to attend Boston University as a Ph.D. candidate. Mr. Judd the spoke to trustees.

Mr. Judd talked about his plans for research and noted that his experience at UNF guided him to this decision and prepared him to be competitive.

Pre-Agenda Item 1B: Trustee Newton, Honorary Alumna of UNF

Chair Taylor asked Ms. Faith Hall, Director of Alumni Services, to say a few words about the award.

Ms. Hall stated that this award was given to individuals who were not UNF graduates but who demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the university. She congratulated Trustee Newton as the recipient and thanked her for her numerous and varied contributions to the institution.

President Delaney introduced Mr. Moon as the university’s new director of Athletics, mentioning that he had accomplished a lot in a short time. He asked Mr. Moon to introduce Mr. Driscoll.

Mr. Moon presented Mr. Driscoll as the new basketball coach, stating that he was well respected by his peers and voted a top 10 assistant coach in NCAA Division I. Mr. Driscoll was invited to say a few words to the Board.

Mr. Driscoll spoke about plans for the basketball team, which included relationship building with the campus community and the local area. He also elaborated on his intent to inspire well rounded athletes who would leave the university as better people.

Pre-Agenda Item 1D: Dr. Mark Falbo

Chair Taylor asked Provost Workman to introduce Dr. Falbo.

Provost Workman introduced Dr. Falbo as the inaugural director for the Center for Community Based Learning and stated that Dr. Falbo would present a brief report on the state of the center.

Dr. Falbo offered appreciation for the opportunity to speak about the center, stating that it was a pleasure to be involved with the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). He addressed four short-term priorities, including (1) completing the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools review process with revisions to the QEP, (2) focusing on establishing the center and developing its infrastructure, (3) investing in faculty enrichment, curriculum and research, and (4) connecting or reconnecting with area nonprofits and schools.

Item 1 Call to Order

Chair Taylor called the regular Board of Trustees meeting to order, dispensing with the chair’s report. He turned the meeting over to President Delaney.

Item 2 Chair’s Report

See Item 1.

Item 3 President’s Report

President Delaney stated that he and Provost Workman conducted a series of meetings with faculty which included a review of programs. He stated that there was consensus that UNF’s offerings were in line with a metro area of 1,000,000 and a university with 15,000 to 25,000 students.

President Delaney talked about the prospect of purchasing the ADT building. He stated that this consideration made sense since the university owned all other buildings on adjacent properties.

Item 4 Open Comments

Chair Taylor addressed those in attendance and offered opportunity for open comments. No one asked to address the Board.

Item 5 Consent Agenda

Chair Taylor stated that all items on the consent agenda were approved by their respective committees. He asked for a MOTION. A MOTION was offered by Trustee Robinson and seconded by Trustee Gonzalez. The consent agenda was approved as presented.

Item 6 Establishing and Certifying the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) as a University of North Florida Direct Service Organization (DSO)

Chair Taylor asked President Delaney to speak about this item.

President Delaney stated that an opportunity like this did not come along very often. He remarked that the administration spent considerable time discussing this project, concluding that although this wasn’t the best economic time, this venture did offer the potential for academic synergy and the possibility of a vibrant museum.

Trustees discussed the university’s plans to generate revenue from the museum, including admissions, sponsors, donations and endowments. Consensus was that the success of these affects could not be determined until after the decision was made to involve the university. Perception of the venture was discussed, noting that the Legislature had not raised any flags and the campus and local community should be made aware that risks were minimal.

The Joan Mitchell piece was discussed concluding that, although this piece was not counted as part of the collateral, the university would benefit from its exhibition.

Trustees expressed concerns about the logistics of the venture, specifically that students would be drawn downtown. Other concerns were discussed including how the economy might affect donors. Trustees encouraged the administration to ensure that the community was aware of the experimental nature of this venture and that they understood the strategic objectives.

Trustees expressed the importance of taking advantage of this unique opportunity which would connect education to the arts, as well as provide UNF with a downtown presence. Also noted was the manifestation of the university’s commitment to the community.

Trustees discussed the possibility of weakening fundraising for the university. The administration responded that there was differing sets of donors for the museum and the university. The museum would bring a new circle of friends.

Trustees discussed the museum’s board of directors, noting that there were shared members on that board and the UNF Foundation Board. Trustees noted that this would be a great opportunity for MOCA board members to become more familiar with the university.

Trustees asked for clarification on juried exhibitions for local and regional art. Also trustees asked about art exhibitions for socially and economically disadvantaged people. Dr. Debra Murphy, chair, Department of Art and Design, clarified that programs were in place for autistic children and preschool programs. She stated that the university would like to use the museum as an important outreach for the Quality Enhancement Plan, presenting a tremendous opportunity for students.

Trustees discussed the advantages of this transaction, which included the acquisition of some valuable art, added value to the university and to the museum, and minimal risk with significant upside. Also, trustees remarked on how tragic the loss would be for the city to lose the museum.

President Delaney reported that this DSO would be reviewed within 15 months and the administration was recommending approval by the full Board.

Chair Taylor stated that in improved economic times, this venture would be self-evident. He recognized efforts on behalf of President Delaney and the administration, noting that financial piece was structured with minimized risks. Trustees pointed out that the loan would be collateralized.

Trustees clarified two things that would need to be addressed immediately, (1) the positive advantages for UNF and Jacksonville, including how the venture related to the institution’s strategic plan, and (2) articulate clearly the protection of financial interest of the university’s resources.

Chair Taylor asked for a MOTION to approve establishing and certifying the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville as a University of North Florida direct support organization. A MOTION was offered by Trustee Gonzalez and seconded by Trustee Abdullah. The MOTION was approved as presented.

Chair Taylor asked for a MOTION to approve a revolving line of credit for the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville. The MOTION was offered by Trustee Coggin and seconded by Trustee Abdullah. The MOTION was approved as presented.

Chair Taylor asked for a MOTION to approve the assignment of the lease on the Museum of Contemporary Art building to the University of North Florida and the agreement with the City of Jacksonville regarding various works of art previously gifted to the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville. The MOTION was offered by Trustee Gonzalez and seconded by Trustee Abdullah. The MOTION was approved as presented.

Chair Taylor asked for a MOTION to delegate authority to the President to execute all of the necessary documents required to establish the new direct support organization, execute the revolving line of credit for the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, and sign all agreements with the City of Jacksonville and the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville. The MOTION was offered by Trustee Robinson and seconded by Trustee Barnes. The MOTION was approved as presented.

Item 7 Reports from the Finance and Audit Committee

Chair Taylor asked Trustee Twomey to speak about these items.

These reports are provided as information only. No further action was required.

Item 7A Treasurer’s Report

Trustee Twomey stated that the cash flow summary on the treasurer’s report was consistent with the past except for the funding balance with the UNF Financing Corporation. He noted that these funds were winding down as construction continued. He asked Vice President Shuman to provide additional insight.

Vice President Shuman stated that the significant change from the previous report was that cash items that had liquidated, specifically Evergreen in the amount of $1 million and Sawgrass in the amount of $6 million.

Item 7B Quarterly Budget Report

Trustee Twomey stated that the university was moving along well against the budget with appropriate reserves. He asked Vice President Shuman to provide other commentary.

Vice President Shuman mentioned that the budget reduction of $3.4 million was reflected in the numbers provided in the meeting materials. She noted that divisions were below expected spending which was a result of controlled spending.

Vice President Shuman reported on the auxiliaries, noting that Continuing Education had eliminated expenses and was projecting additional dollars.

Item 7C Capital Projects Quarterly Report and Change Orders

Trustee Twomey asked Vice President Shuman to speak about this item.

Vice President Shuman reported that the College of Education and Human Services building was ahead of schedule and on budget with planned occupancy in May. Also, the Student Union building was on schedule and on budget with expected occupancy beginning in May and concluding in August. She spoke about Osprey Fountains, noting that this project was on schedule and on budget with planned occupancy in August.

Vice President Shuman talked about the progress of UNF Hall, mentioning that Phase II was complete and Phase III was underway with occupancy scheduled for June. She noted that the last phase would be completed in July.

Vice President Shuman reported that there were no concerns with change orders. She mentioned that these were listed in the meeting materials.

Item 8 Report from the Educational Policy Committee Meeting

Chair Taylor asked Provost Workman and Vice President Serwatka to present this item.

Item 8A A Review of Peer Aspirant Institutions

Provost Workman called to mind a discussion with Dr. Terry MacTaggart where the university talked about engaging in a strategic plan that would realize the institution’s full potential. Provost Workman stated that the university responded by creating a task force to define a new vision, mission and goals statement, with a focus on becoming a university of national quality. He noted that the task force was now at the point of preparing the strategic goals by creating benchmarks or performance indicators derived from a number of sources

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Provost Workman indicated that, as a result of the work from the task force, a draft list of peer aspirants had been identified. He yielded to Vice President Serwatka to discuss the method for selecting the individual institutions and to discuss the metrics for these universities.

Vice President Serwatka stated that the university worked with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) to identify universities that resembled UNF, based on a set of compositional variable. He noted that NCHEMS returned a list of 280 universities with distance scores ranging from 100 to 900. (The variables used in calculating these distance scores are included in the meeting materials.)

Vice President Serwatka stated that the Office of Institutional Research used a different set of performance variables to identify schools that performed as well or better than UNF, developing a matrix to identify the top 20 schools. He noted that the top 20 schools were reviewed by a panel, including the executive staff and representatives from faculty, which selected 10 proposed peer aspirants.

Vice President Serwatka spoke about the proposed list – specifically about Miami of Ohio, Portland State University, The College of New Jersey, and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. He then provided commentary for a slide show which revealed comparative data on this proposed list.

Provost Workman stated that the purpose of this exercise was to determine benchmarks and set targets which would integrate with the strategic plan.

Chair Taylor clarified that the outcome of the exercise would be a holistic approach in evaluating UNF according to the strategic plan. He noted that this would parlay into prioritizing the budget process and improve the institution in measurable ways.

Item 9 Adjournment

Chair Taylor announced the Trustee Barnes would be attending a conference with the Association of Governing Boards and would bring information back to the Board. He then adjourned the meeting.